Chronology of PYP Units as taught: 2011-12 School Year


Unit One

Kindergarten Unit One - Who We Are: We Are Family

Dates:
Central Idea:
Members of a family have rights and responsibilities that help the family to function.
Key Concepts:
Form, function, responsibility

K Art-
Who we are: Family
  • A Calming Place: Identify and apply vertical and horizontal lines
  • Houses in the Sunset: Identify geometric shapes
  • Self Portrait: Use free-form shapes, and apply the concept of balance
  • Colors: Warm and cold color families
  • Families of Birds: Textures, collage, shapes that make a bird

K Spanish
Central Idea:
Identification of our personal, family and cultural characteristics contributes to a better self concept and social interaction
Key Concepts:
Form, function, connection,change


1st Grade Unit One - Who We Are: Friends
Who We Are
Dates: 9/8 - 10/21
Central idea:
Human connections enrich our lives and require nurturing in order to develop and maintain.
Key Concepts:
Function, responsibility, reflection
Lines of Inquiry:
Why we need friends; how can we make and keep friends

1st Art-
Who We Are: Friends
Theme I: Colors, Lines, Shapes, Patterns and Symbols
Class Exercises focus on LINES and SHAPES
  • Create a Rainbow World
  • This is My Favorite Activity”
  • Illustrating the Meaning of Friendship
Book: Do you want to Be My Friend?
  • Shapes that show my body, playing or working
  • VTS: Jacob Lawrence

2nd Grade Unit One - Who We Are: Community
Who We Are
Dates: 9/12 - 10/28
Central Idea: Personal choices have consequences that affect different communities.
Key Concepts: Form, Change, Responsibility
Lines of Inquiry: The communities we belong to; the roles of different community members; how our classroom functions as a community: our individual responsibilities as citizens; how our personal choices impact our community

2nd Art-
Who We Are: Communities
Theme I: Colors, Shapes, Patterns and Symbols
Class Exercises focus on LINE Qualities and geometric vs. Free-form SHAPES
  • Make Good Choices Body Collage Mural
  • Caring Hands
  • A Group of People working together

3rd Unit One - Who We Are: Consumers
Dates:9/12-10/28
Central Idea:
People are consumers and make choices based on many factors
Key Concepts:
form, perspective, responsibility

3rd Art-
Sharing The Planet: Consumers
Theme I: Dominance in Design
  • Design, message, and advertisment
  • Design an Eye Catching Poster for a park or a zoo

4th Unit One - How the World Works
Dates: 9/19/11
Central Idea: Air is neccessary and used by living things.
Key Concepts: Form, Function, Reflection
Lines of Inquiry: Scientific air experiments, bubble festival,
4th Art-
Sharing The Planet: Air
Theme I: Perspective
  • The World I See From Up-Above
Point of View Study, Art Concept: Front, Side, Back and Overhead
  • Messages From Hot Air Balloon


5th Unit One - How the World Works: People and the Environment
Dates: 9/6/11 - 10/6/11
Central Idea: Our relationship with the natural world differs from person to person.
Key Concepts: Perspective & Function
5th Art (relate to Garden and social responsibilties)
Theme I: Earth Art
Observation Drawing of An Object Using Blended Values
Create Earth Art- use only materails from nature to create a sculpture
  • Artist to study- Andy Goldsworthy- Rivers and Tide


Unit Two

Kindergarten Unit Two -
Dates:
Central Idea:
Key Concepts:
K Art-
Rural and Urban
  • Pumpkin Patch: Perspective, Overlapping
  • The Beats of the City: Abstract Art
  • Farm Animals: Sheeps, Horses, Pigs, Ducks and Cows

1st Unit Two - Where We Are in Place and Time: Come Play with Me!
Dates: 10/24 - 12/9
Central Idea: Children's games and toys change over time and from place to place.
Key Concepts: Form, Change, Connection
Lines of Inquiry: Different types of games and toys; How games and toys have changed over time; Games and toys from around the world

1st grade Art
Where We Are in Place and Time: Come Play with Me!

Imagination : Class Exercises focus on Composition

  • Design a 3-D Dream Playground
  • City at Night
Material: mixed media, Art Concept: 2-D shapes vs. 3-D shapes, Artist to Study: Faith Ringgold

2nd Unit Two - Where We Are in Place and Time: Homes Around the World
Dates: 10/31 - 12/16
Central Idea: Where you live affects how you live
Key Concepts: Change, connection, perspective
Lines of Inquiry: Different types of homes; how the environment and resources available affect the homes we live in; how homes have changed throughout history

2nd grade Art-
Where We Are in Place and Time: Homes Around the World
  • The room we can view- Imagination drawing
  • Houses in different parts of the world
  • Clay Brid Houses

3rd Unit Two - How the World Works: Flight
Dates: 11/1/11-12/15/11
Central Idea: Humans have always searched for faster means of travel, so people looked to the air.
Key Concepts: Function, Causation, Change

3rd grade Art-
How the World Works: Flight
  • My Flying Dream, Painting inspired by Marc Chagall
  • Brids, Print-making

4th Unit Two - (MINI UNIT) How We Organize Ourselves
Dates: 11/21/11- 12/15/11
Central Idea: Using fractions can make life easier.
Key Concepts: Function, Reflection, Connection
Lines of Inquiry: Use of fractions, fractions used in different jobs (interviews/power point), make/sew floor pillows

4th grade Art-
How We Organize Ourselves
Expression
Class Exercises focus on POSITIVE and NEGATIVE SPACES
  • Cubism
Artists to Study: Picasso

5th Unit Two - Where we are in Place and Time: Poetry of Place
Dates: 10/9/11 - 11/23/11
Central Idea: Poetry can be an expression of place.
Key Concepts: Form, Reflection, & Connection

5th grade Art-
Where We Are In Place and Time: Poetry of Place
  • Word Art: one point perspective
Story and Art

Class Exercises focus on Observation drawing & draw what you see
  • A Day in the Life of a Shoe
Artist: to Study: Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt


Unit Three
Kindergarten Unit Three:
Dates:
Central Idea:
Key Concepts:

First Unit Three: How We Express Ourselves - Stories
Dates: 1/3/12 - 2/10/12
Central Idea:
Key Concepts:

Second Unit Three: How We Express Ourselves - Once Upon a Time
Dates: 1/3/12-2/10/12
Central Idea: Fairytales have been used throughout history to reflect cultural values
Key Concepts: Form, function, perspective
Lines of Inquiry: What a fairytale is; the purpose and meaning of fairytales; classic fairytales; fractured fairytales; what we can learn about history and culture from fairytales; how to write our own fairytales

Art:
  • Personaliaty Portrait

Third Unit Three:
Dates:
Central Idea:
Key Concepts:

4th Unit Two - How We Organize Ourselves
Dates: 1/3/12-2/1/12
Central Idea: Operating a restaurant involves decision-making, teamwork, & preparation.
Key Concepts: Function, Causation, Connection
Lines of Inquiry: Menu design, restaurant design, restaurant simulation, food, cooking, local providers for food

Art
  • Theme Collage, People, Places, and Things Around Me -what catches our eyes
Artists to Study: Jacob Laurence
  • Design a restaurant

Fifth Unit Three:
Dates:
Central Idea:
Key Concepts:
Art
Discovery
  • Mars Rover

March-April, 2012

kindergarten : Gizmos and Gadgets.
This unit will continue to March 23.
transdiciplinary theme: "How the World Works" . The central idea is: People have been inventing various gizmos and gadgets over the centuries to solve some kind of problem.

Our next unit, which begins on March 26th is called: Native People. This unit focuses mainly on Pacific Northwest Coast Native American Culture. However, the central idea that native people adapt to the areas in which they live (global) is discussed throughout the unit. This will be a four week unit.
Art: Animal Totem- symbols and the meanings

1st grade : Weather
Art: Painting and Poems inspired by Colors -acrylic painting

2nd grade
How the World Works: planet earth
1. Zebra and the Safari Lanscape
2. Painting elements- Fire, Water, Air, Earth
use colors, textures and shapes to illustrate these four elements


3rd grade
Unit of Inquiry:

Storytelling and Fables



Transdisciplinary Theme:

How We Express Ourselves



Central Idea:

Humans tell stories to teach lessons and to entertain.



Key Concepts and some student generated questions:

Responsibility: Why do people tell stories? Why are fables used to teach lessons?

Perspective: What makes a story enjoyable? Who thought of fables? What was the first book made?

Reflection: How many stories are there?




4th grade

Exploration: Where We Are in Place and Time
Art: Nature Journaling

April 9th- ?
1st grade : Journeys
Art: My Travel Blanket


3rd grade
On 4/23 we will begin our Pioneer Unit. I

Unit of Inquiry:

Pioneers



Transdisciplinary Theme:

Sharing the Planet